'Something is fishy': PM Modi mocks Congress over silence on challenges; Mallikarjun Kharge replies

‘Something is fishy’: PM Modi mocks Congress over silence on challenges; Mallikarjun Kharge replies

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday recounted the challenges he has set for the Congress and said that the party’s silence in the matter means “there is something fishy”.

Addressing a public rally in Gujarat’s Jamnagar, PM Modi said: “It has been 9 days since I have challenged the Congress, and they haven’t given me a reply on the same… They are quiet, which means something is fishy”.

PM’s challenges to Congress

Besides challenging the Congress to categorically state that it will reinstate Article 370 and revoke the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, if it comes to power, PM Modi took the Congress to task over religion-based reservation.

“My first challenge is, will the Congress give in writing that they will not change the Constitution and give reservations to Muslims based on religion? Second, will they give it in writing that they will not compromise with the rights of the SC, ST, and OBC by giving away their share of the reservation to Muslims? Will they give in writing that their state governments and their leaders will not run a hidden agenda to give reservations to Muslims?” said the PM.

“When Congress released its manifesto, I alerted the country, especially the intellectuals, that the Congress manifesto is a red alert for the country. I clearly said that I could see the image of the Muslim League in their manifesto, which many thought was a mere political statement … The narratives that had been imposed during the partition of the country by the Muslim League, unfortunately, similar scenes are being seen today. INDI alliance leaders, in their rallies, are asking Muslim voters to go for vote jihad. And these words came from a very senior Congress leader coming from a very well-educated family,” he added.

“Congress is contesting these elections on two strategies. First, dividing society based on caste. Second, uniting their vote bank through politics of appeasement… Congress is now giving its all to its main motive in these elections. Congress wants to take away reservation from SC, ST, and OBC and give it away to Muslims based on religion, by changing the Constitution,” said PM Modi.

Our votebank is every Indian: Kharge

Responding to the challenges, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated the promises made by the Congress party in its public declaration for Lok Sabha elections 2024.

In a letter to PM Modi, Kharge challenged PM Modi and the BJP for a debate on the party’s manifesto.

“The Congress Party would like to challenge you or anyone you depute to debate with us on our manifesto and the points you have made,” he wrote.

Referring to the letter written by PM Modi to NDA candidates ahead of the third phase of voting, asking them to raise awareness about Congress’ ‘divisive’ agenda, Kharge wrote: “From the tone and content of the letter it seems that there is a lot of desperation and worry in you which is leading you to use language that does not suit the office of the Prime Minister. The letter makes it look like the lies in your speeches are not having the effect you intended and now you want your candidates to amplify your lies. Repeating a lie a thousand times will not make it the truth”.

In his response to PM Modi’s accusation that the Congress would divert resources from SC, ST, and OBC communities to its “votebank,” Kharge clarified that the “Vote Bank” encompasses all Indians, including the disadvantaged, women, youth with aspirations, the working class, Dalits, and Adivasis.

“Our votebank is every Indian – the poor, the marginalised, the women, the aspirational youth, the labour class, the Dalits and the Adivasis. Everyone knows it is the RSS and BJP who opposed reservations at every stage since 1947. Everyone knows it is the RSS and BJP which wants to change the Constitution to end reservation. Your leaders have openly spoken about it. You need to clarify why you are opposed to reservation to SC, ST and OBCs on the basis of their population as per Article 16 of our Constitution,” he stated in the letter.

(With inputs from agencies)

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